A year in Review

After a year of being a business owner I've gained my fair share of do's an don'ts and what I wish I knew before I started. It's been educational and the one thing I've discovered is that success and growth just take time. It's been a lot of hard work, trial and error, and sincere persistence that has helped me build my brand. It also takes time to trust a new business. Customers always have a few questions they ask in their minds when they see a logo: what do they sell, can I look online for more information, and will I have a good experience. (These are questions I have anyway!) With my brand, I want to be real with my audience in my photography, product description, and packaging. What you see is what you get!

I have also learned a hard lesson in marketing and advertising throughout this year. IT'S EXPENSIVE! No doubt about it, you have to spend money to make money and when Google owns the internet, well, you play by their rules. About the time I really launched my brand, they made some major changes to their ad campaigns and there wasn't anything I could do. You can advertise for free but you won't get much traffic. If you want to appeal to a target audience, you have to be willing to have a flexible budget. So in the meantime, I am working on inventory, creating new ideas, and investing in my future. 

People tend to look at what's right in front of them and with social media being that everyday go to, it's difficult, but not impossible to create long term customers. I decided that once a quarter was about as much as I could manage in getting new content out for the platforms I use. I'm not one to bombard people with emails about my store but I will send gentle subtle reminders that I'm still here and ready to serve! 

So a year in review has given me a perspective for love for what I do and what God has gifted me with and has kept me humble. I love to challenge myself and where I find the greatest ideas moving forward. Who knows what this year will hold!